The Kavango West Regional Council yesterday signed an agreement with Metzger Koranyara Trading CC to formalise a strategic partnership aimed at driving development in the region.
The agreement was signed at the council’s boardroom and covers agricultural production, agro‑processing, trainee internships, tourism and wider economic development. The company operates at the Musese green scheme and Kanyikama.
Director of development planning, monitoring and evaluation Egidius Nambara yesterday said the agreement records an already existing working relationship.
Nambara said the partnership will guide cooperation in “areas of mutual interest, such as corporate social responsibility”.
“Sometimes we just run and they assist us, but it’s always best that we have it formalised,” he said.
He said the council had already endorsed the agreement.
“This was tabled before the council and was approved by the council. A resolution was passed for us to formulate the agreement, and that is why we are here today, to sign the memorandum of understanding,” he said.
Chief regional officer Matheus Singambwe said the formal agreement would strengthen accountability between the parties.
“When we have a formalised memorandum of understanding, it creates trust, it creates certainty that every side of the party, we are aware what is expected from us, the dos and the don’ts,” he said.
He said the government cannot act alone.
“No country can be developed by the government alone, the private partnership is very important,” he said.
Singambwe said agricultural production must be treated as a livelihood and economic tool.
“We have been consuming Winnie maize in our households, but how do we make this Winnie maize not only a regional product, not only a national product, but an international brand?” he asked.
Singambwe called for local products to be supplied to schools, hospitals, prisons and hostels, and urged the company to protect the environment, pay fair wages and keep its operations open to communal and subsistence farmers who want to learn.
Metzger Koranyara Trading owner Winni Metzger welcomed the agreement.
“We urgently need the public-private partnership to be formalised more and to dig deeper,” he said.
“Let us sign it and continue working together.”
The post Kavango West plants seeds for regional growth appeared first on The Namibian.
Follow the story
